posted August 05, 2012 02:43 AM
Last night was part of our 100 year celebration of Sennett studios studios which was located in Edendale, CA (now known as Echo Park)Because of this the Echo Park Film Center has scheduled a bunch of outdoor filmmobile screenings. This one was centered around the Keystone Cops, and the night started w/ historian Bob Birchard giving a slide show talk about the origins of moviemaking in Echo Park beginning with Selig Studios up through Sennett. The screening took place at the corner of Clinton st and Belmont overlooking Echo Park Lake, which is currently drained. The lake is featured in a number of the films, especially A Muddy Romance where Sennett took advantage of the lake being drained and turned it into a gag. The night's selections included a couple of DVD shorts FATTY JOINS THE FORCE (1913) LOVE, LOOT AND CRASH (1915) A DESPERATE SCOUNDREL (1915) and then I projected a couple of 16mm prints MUDDLED IN MUD (1913)(aka Muddy Romance) and LOVE, SPEED AND THRILLS (1915) each with live accompaniment from local musician Heather Lockie. The night was fun, we gave away free popcorn and lemonade, and watched some silent films with people who may not have usually watched any.

As for us, we watched Escape from Alcatraz. When I got this title, I was worried my wife wouldn't enjoy it. You see, the theme of the movie seems more for the male sensibilities. How wrong I was; my wife's words,"It is a Great film!"

posted August 06, 2012 12:52 AM
took a brief Olympics break to watch RAFFLES, THE AMATEUR CRAFTSMAN (1917) (Entertainment Films, 5 x 200ft Standard 8)starring John Barrymore and a very young Evelyn Brent. I love Barrymore's smugness but I think overall I like the House Peters version better.

posted August 06, 2012 11:57 PM
Back to the Elmo GS..Turns out it doesn't have the probs I originally thought (it does have some others I will mention in a sep post)it was just old and the parts were sticking, so I ran the first film through it. One of the few Laurel & Hardy titles I have kept in the collection. LUCKY DOG (1921 1 x 400ft Glen Photo)

posted August 07, 2012 02:49 AM
Watched ‘Amsterdam’ a documentary film which took us on a guided tour of the capital. A really well made film this running 20 minutes, filmed in 1979 and produced by Top Film it certainly captures the vibrancy of Amsterdam perfectly. This film was issued in a choice of three language sound tracks I believe, this one being in English thankfully. I was drawn to this film as I filmed Amsterdam a few years ago when at the 9-5 international film fest, which reminds me I must edit that very super 8 film.

Later we watched some Collectors Club films including a sound print of ‘Un Chien Andalou’ and a great 1938 cartoon ‘Robinson Crusoe’s Broadcast’ which was a Terrytoon, absolutely hilarious and very repeatable.

posted August 11, 2012 11:33 AM
Hey OSI I saw a beautiful print of BENHUR last night . I wonder who I lucked out in buying it from??? Color is fantastic,400 footer,super8mm, and print is in gem condition !!

--------------------" Faster then a speeding bullet, more powerful then a Locomotive "."Look up in the sky it's a bird it's a plane it's SUPERMAN"

posted August 11, 2012 01:25 PM
Gee Laksmi, I'd have no idea! I'm glad your still enjoying it. For a three and a half hour film, it is a masterful cutdown of the feature and a great example of the art of the digest! ThanX 4 sharing those pics again.

--------------------"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

posted August 12, 2012 11:21 PM
Sometimes it seems like it is always something... Last time I tried to watch MILLION DOLLAR MYSTERY (1927) (Standard 8 3 x 400ft, Blackhawk)it got chewed up in my Eumig 824....OK so I put it back on the shelf and made a bunch of repairs...I brought home my Kodak sound 8 to see if I could run it through since it is a manual load...GRRRRR!!! The sound is no longer working on it, but thankfully this print does not have a track on it so i was able to watch it, but I'm gonna have to fiddle with the sound or pick up another...Anyway, the print ran through perfectly, but it is not the best Blackhawk ever produced. On the soft side of focus, but a fun mystery story involving an evil gang, a rich man reuniting with his long lost daughter, a love story, fights, plane crashes, disguises....All good Sunday afternoon stuff starring the lovely Lila Lee, and longtime Griffith supporting player James Kirkwood

posted August 15, 2012 03:49 PM
Hi Akshay.I was watching them for the first time without knowing exactly which was scope or flat.So, yes I did have to mess around with the scope lens. Now I'm editing them on to 2 x 600ft reels (one scope,one flat)for future screenings.

posted August 16, 2012 12:11 AM
I couldn't remember the last time I watched a 9.5 film so I broke out the Bolex and threaded up a notched title ZIGANO (1925, Harry Piel, 5 x 30ft Pathe 2094) and just as i was getting into a Weimar cinema version of Thief of Bagdad mixed with Mark of Zorro it ended and I realized I only had the first part of a 4 part release..So if anyone has parts 2-4 give me a call please.

posted August 16, 2012 08:30 PM
Did an outdoor screening the other night for some guests and family out on our patio thanks to a lot of 2nd-hand stuff cobbled together to make a rather lovely show, featuring a likewise 2nd-hand, at times worn print of Fantasia 2000, with DVD sound. Crisp, beautiful (if a touch blue) Derann print and what a great-sounding orchestral recording that is.

I should add to the "how elaborate are your setups" thread because this one was just ridiculously time intensive. At least no disasters happened and it presented nicely. Our crazy heat wave mellowed too, so it was actually quite nice.

posted August 18, 2012 10:34 PM
Hey Janice you got me in to taken out my FLASH GORDON its a great black and white 400 foot super 8 . Its called ROCKETSHIP 1936 when it was filmed,and Dale Ardon looks good in the sexy Ming duds! Wow! check it out and yeah I love the way they got Cap Marvel flying even in those days of spiecial effects like wires on the rocket flying around . You can hardly see them on Marvel.

--------------------" Faster then a speeding bullet, more powerful then a Locomotive "."Look up in the sky it's a bird it's a plane it's SUPERMAN"

Its one of those films you cant stop watching as the history of this films production is so interesting as is the quality of animation. It all came together in 1943, features some superb almost 3D looking animation and filmed in Agfa colour. I was fortunate Classic Home Cinema had a print in although the sound was lacking so after hunting like Flip the Frog for a good sound track I now have one and re recorded it. Yay!

The film has our snowman with a heart, finding his nose in wintertime and in time he finds himself in July just in time to sing Da ist der Sommer meines Lebens which is 'that's the summer of my life' as he melts away in the heat. A very memorable animated film and one to keep an eye open for.

I have no idea who issued it on 8mm but whoever it was its so nice to have in the collection.

Tonight I pulled out the Eumig (pronounced Oy-Mig)824 to watch a couple of very short Standard 8mm reels.. .The first was a 100 foot Keystone release of Bobby Bumps and the Detective Story (1916). I recently projected my friend Tom Stathes' 28mm print so I wanted to see the difference..The 8mm print has fewer titles and is really only missing a couple of insignificant scenes such as when the mother finds more detective stories hidden in the stove? Next up was an extremely early Griggs' Moviedrome release of the famous fight scene from Rex Beach's The Spoilers (1914, 1 x 200ft) For those unfamiliar this fight is one of the most legendary and brutal on screen battles ever filmed.

posted August 21, 2012 01:51 AM
Just this afternoon we received The Lost Patrol and felt like I couldn't wait to watch this. I love John Ford, he is someone I'd heard of for years but am just seeing his work. Nice feature this one actually.